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China’s Bilateral IP Engagement: A Look into the Chinese FTAs

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China in Global Governance of Intellectual Property

Part of the book series: Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies ((PSLS))

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Abstract

This chapter examines China’s bilateral intellectual property engagement with a focus on the relation between Chinese FTAs and TRIPS. Categorising Chinese FTA provisions into four types according to their relations with TRIPS (passive defensive, active defensive, TRIPS-plus, and active promotion), this chapter concludes that the prevalence of TRIPS-defensive provisions in Chinese FTAs  indicates China’s support for the multilateral IP system. Nonetheless, China has also been open to accepting TRIPS-plus FTA standards, including six-year data exclusivity for biologics, and more restrictive border measures. Active promotion provisions in Chinese FTAs, including rules on genetic resources and traditional knowledge protection, IP and public health, and the limits to ISP liability, shows its support for alternative standards on these issues. While China has not imposed its own IP standards onto its FTA partners, this does not mean that China has deliberately pursued the Confucian golden principle of non-imposition to guild its FAT processes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Source China FTA Framework, Ministry of Commerce of China, Available from: http://fta.mofcom.gov.cn/english/index.shtml. In addition to the FTAs, China signed bilateral agreements that include IP provisions, including the European Union–China GI Cooperation and Protection Agreement (2020) and the United States–China Economic and Trade Agreement (2020).

  2. 2.

    State Council (2015) Several Opinions of the State Council on Accelerating the Implementation of the Strategies for Free Trade Areas国务院关于加快实施自由贸易区战略的若干意见 no. 69 [2015].

  3. 3.

    See Article 110.1 of China–Chile FTA, Article 160.2 of China–New Zealand FTA, Article 144.2 of China–Peru FTA, Article 109.2 of China–Costa Rica FTA, Article 63.1 of China–Iceland FTA, Article 11.1.4 of China–Switzerland FTA, Article 15.1.2 of China–South Korea FTA, and Article 11.1.4 of China–Australia FTA.

  4. 4.

    See Article 110.5 of China–Chile FTA, Article 144.4 of China–Peru FTA, Article 110.3 of China–Costa Rica FTA, Article 11.1.5 of China–Switzerland FTA, Article 15.2.3 of China–South Korea FTA, and Article 11.1.6 of China–Australia FTA.

  5. 5.

    In Peru, the disclosure obligation is provided in Article 4(c) No. 27811 Biodiversity Law: A Law Introducing a Protection Regime for the Collective Knowledge of Indigenous Peoples derived from Biological Resources, published 10 August 2002. In Costa Rica, the disclosure obligation is provided in Article 25, Rules on Access (2003).

  6. 6.

    From the website of the CBD: https://www.cbd.int/abs/nagoya-protocol/signatories/ [Accessed 19 September 2022].

  7. 7.

    Supreme People’s Court of China. (2012) Judicial Interpretation on Several Issues concerning the Application of Law in Hearing Civil Dispute Cases Involving Infringement of the Right of Dissemination on Information Networks, 17 December 2012 最高人民法院关于审理侵害信息网络传播权民事纠纷案件适用法律若干问题的规定.

  8. 8.

    Article 166 of China–New Zealand FTA and Article 66.1 of China–Iceland FTA.

  9. 9.

    Para. 284, Accession of the People’s Republic of China, 23 November 2001, WT/L432.

  10. 10.

    China Food and Drug Administration. Notice on Calling for Comments on ‘Policies Related to Encouraging Innovations in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment and Protecting Interests and Rights of Innovators (Draft for Comments)’ 总局关于征求 《关于鼓励药品医疗器械创新保护创新者权益的相关政策 (征求意见稿)》 意见的公告.

  11. 11.

    China National Medical Products Administration. Measures for the Implementation of Test Data Protection for drugs (Interim) (Draft for Comment) 国家药品监督管理局 《药品试验数据保护实施办法 (暂行) (征求意见稿)》.

  12. 12.

    The definition of ‘foreign works’ conforms to the national treatment principle of the Berne Convention. Specifically, Article 4 of the Provisions defines the scope of foreign works as ‘1) works of which the author or one of the co-authors or the other owner of copyright or one of the co-owners of copyright is a national or a permanent resident of a country party to the international copyright treaties; 2) works of which the author is not a national or a permanent resident of a country party to international copyright treaties but which have been first published or published simultaneously in a country party of the international copyright treaties; or 3) works created by others by commission from a Chinese–foreign equity joint venture, a Chinese–foreign contractual joint venture or a foreign-capital enterprise which, by virtue of a contract, is the owner of copyright or one of the co-owners of copyright of the work’.

  13. 13.

    Articles 3, 5, 14, 17, 19, 28, 29 and 31 of the Regulation on the Customs Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (1995) 海关知识产权保护条例().

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  1. College of Law, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Wenting Cheng

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  1. Wenting Cheng
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Cheng, W. (2023). China’s Bilateral IP Engagement: A Look into the Chinese FTAs. In: China in Global Governance of Intellectual Property. Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24370-7_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24370-7_5

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